The 7 Best Advanced Authoring Tools for Corporate eLearning Development

Whomsoever person might be considering getting an authoring tool for their corporate eLearning development, don’t choose one before reading this!

If you have arrived here then you might already know what authoring tools are. But, if you need a brief introduction, continue. Authoring tools have become helpful software that allows you to create multiple forms of digital content, like courses, quizzes, presentations, modules, training content, and more without the need to know how to code.

These can enable anyone to use them to create attractive, effective, and engaging content for educating or training purposes within a span of 49 to 125 hours for beginner-level courses and 250 to 716 hours for expert-level material.

So, what are the top tools that can enable you to create any type of e-learning design or content according to your terms? We have named the 7 best authoring tools in the market for corporate eLearning development content.

7 of The Best Authoring Tools You Can Find Online

We have researched the best authoring tools for corporate eLearning development services. These can cost you a pretty penny, but they are good if you have in-house resources and want to develop a great content management and training plan for your organization. Here they are based on features and price:

1. Articulate Storyline 360

This is a very powerful and well-known authoring tools online. It can allow any user to create responsive and interactive courses for any scalable organization. It is known for its easy-to-use interface and extensive features that are suitable for both beginners and experienced developers of e-learning content space.

Features:

• User-Friendly Interface: The design of the software is highly user-friendly, with options listed clearly under drop-down menus. This easy navigation helps users to create any type of e-learning course faster.
• Interactive Elements: The application offers a lot of interactive aspects, like quizzes, drag-and-drop activities, and branching scenarios. These can help you generate variety in your entire course module.
• Responsive Design: This learning course-creating platform works on multiple devices, including mobile phones and personal computers. You can also your cross-functionality, so your courses are compatible with any smart device.
• Content Library 360: The library feature can give you access to hundreds of custom premade templates, images, characters, and videos to enhance your course design.
• Review 360 Integration: This allows you to unlock and pre-create a mechanism for feedback and data collection, which allows you to track many aspects. Stakeholders of the project can also leave comments directly on the content.

Pricing:

The pricing of this platform can vary from $1,199 per year for individual users; to $1,499 per user for teams, approximately.

2. Adobe Captivate

Built by the reliable company Adobe, this authoring tool helps thousands of users to create highly effective e-learning content, including simulations to increase visual interest and assessments to get real-time, instant feedback. This has a skill cap as it features very sophisticated compatibility with a variety of multimedia elements.

Features:

• Responsiveness: Adobe Captivate allows you to make your e-learning content accessible to multiple users, on mobile devices. You can generate many different courses across as many devices as you’d like.
• Interactive High-Quality Simulations: You can generate software simulations and scenario-based learning content through this option. They offer high-resolution digitized simulation options and tools for users.
• Quiz Creation: Corporate or non-corporate learning lessons can be crafted with interactive and engaging quiz and assessment tools. This can help you to test learner’s knowledge or abilities.
• Integration with The Entire Adobe Ecosystem: If needed, users can integrate Captivate with the entire range of Adobe products. It is useful for highly skilled people who can use other tools and elements to enhance their content design.
• Virtual Reality Support: You can create any kind of VR experience and customize it according to your needs. They offer a complete range of tools and support to guide you through your learning process for immersive experiences.

Pricing:

The pricing for Adobe Captive starts at around $1,200 for a perpetual license, with subscription options also available.

3. Gomo

Gomo is a unique authoring tool on our list. This is the only, cloud-based tool that allows people to create responsive yet professional-looking e-learning content courses. You can easily go for collaborative development and easy merge across multiple devices. They use the latest tech tools and generative AI that are relevant and cross-functional.

Features:

• Cloud-Based Collaboration: Gomo allows learning designers to access and collaborate in real-time with each other easily. So, multiple authors can encourage teamwork in this online cloud tool for learning.
• Responsive Courses: This learning platform provides all-around functionality for all users who prefer to set their course on many devices. These capabilities can help you create an apt design that automatically adjusts to any screen size.
• Analytics Tracking: To understand the learner’s progress, this corporate elearning development site has tracking and reporting capabilities, which can easily help you keep a score. You can collect this data for future purposes.
• Customizable Templates: If you are finding content creation difficult and don’t know where to start, this site has pre-made templates that are customizable. You can simply choose a template you like to later change the brand colors to match your preferences.
• Integration Capabilities: If you are using your personalized learning systems or already have a system that you like, you can easily integrate Gomo with it. Any type of Learning Management System (LMS) is effortlessly incorporated with this learning tool.

Pricing:

The cost of Gomo is approximately $1,000 per author per year, for starting your basic learning design.

4. Cloud Assess

This e-learning authoring tool is designed for competency-based assessments and training of any scalable organization. You can create and manage multiple learning programs, without the stress of understanding each feature or aspect. Frontline workers can take this LMS and customize it for mobile or desktop use to blend learning and training for better results all around.

Features:

• Competency Frameworks: There are many frameworks available, especially for people who want to create assessments and training programs based on the learner’s capabilities. This helps the person to demonstrate their potential to the maximum extent.
• Custom Workflows: This tool also supports the use of custom workflows, according to many individuals. It is very useful as you can track a lot of data, from the user’s perspective and how they are responding to your learner’s guide.
• Reporting Tools: Advanced tools and tracking abilities are extremely useful from Cloud Assess. These can help you create weekly reports and monitor metrics that might be important according to your organization.
• Quality Checker: Cloud Assess has a unique feature, which allows you to keep doing quality checks to test your training/learning program. You can keep using this feature to slowly analyze the parts of your training module that may be outdated or useless.
• Compatibility Across Devices: Whether you are using a mobile device or your personal computer, every L&D course is meant to reflect easy access through any device. You can create a module that is comfortable to use, and very good in terms of depth and information.

Pricing:

Cloud Assess has different pricing, according to your organizational needs. You will have to contact their team to get a quotation.

5. Elucidat

It is also another cloud-based authoring tool, which is known for its ease of use and scalability. You can use Elucidat to quickly release any learning course on any platform. This has the ability to adapt to any existing or new learning systems almost immediately. They are known for helping any organization to produce compelling and engaging content courses for e-learning or training purposes.

Also Read: The Benefits of Customized Learning Paths for the Success of Employees

Features:

• Cloud Features: While course design and development is still being staged, this tool helps many suggest or try new things related to the project. Every change is recorded and reflected by every person on the team.
• Highly Accessible: To ensure that the viewing experience is great among all, you can expect your course to be easily accessible on any device. Whether you want your program to fit on a smaller or a larger screen, Elucidat has an accessible design across all devices.
• Library of Templates: You may not find a particular design according to your brand's voice, but you can choose from hundreds of templates to choose from. You can then edit it, according to your specific requirements and branding.
• Content Translation Tools: You can localize your content and increase the engagement from many users globally through their translation’s tools. These can also help you access new languages and services that might not have been accessible to you beforehand.
• Analytics & User-Insights: Elucidat has in-built tools for gathering analytics and user-insights. Whether you are looking to track learner engagement and course effectiveness can improve significantly with data-driven ideas and suggestions.

Pricing:

The cost of Elucidat starts from around $1,500 per author per year, which can be adjusted according to your requirements.

6. iSpring Suite

iSpring Suite is a popular authoring toolkit that is known for integrating seamlessly with PowerPoint. It is also compatible with multiple LMS or any existing customized learning tool. Users can create interactive e-learning courses quickly and easily, without any setbacks. It is best suited for small organizations or for personal use to generate worthy courses, quizzes, screencasts, video lectures, dialog simulations, and more. 

Features:

• Integration with PowerPoint: This is the most helpful aspect of this tool. You can take your powerpoint presentations and quickly convert them into e-learning courses to help many employees learn topics quicker through participation.
• Interactive & Engaging Assessments: You can build quizzes, surveys, and interactive assessments that help the learner grasp subject matters within minutes. You can add various elements to upscale and make your courses more appealing.
• Video Lectures: If you want to create video lectures for online e-learning requirements, you can do so with this feature. You can use screen recordings and edit them, according to your requirements to get a better, well-structured video module.
• LMS Compatibility: iSpring Suite is compatible with many LMS standards, including SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, AICC, xAPI (Tin Can), and cmi5. This will ensure every course you create is accurate to your industry standards, without compromising the quality.
• Publishing: Every course or module you create can be published online. This can make it accessible to your workforce who aren’t on-site. These courses have the ability to be useful for the future employees as well.




Pricing:

iSpring Suite is a very6 affordable option, compared to many. You can start with approximately $970 for a one-year subscription.

7. Lectora

This is our last authoring tool on our list. It is one of the most powerful tools available for desktop or online for designing, publishing, and delivering eLearning courses. You can use the various features to create highly engaging corporate training solutions, which are sophisticated and enable you to make script-based learning modules within weeks of use. It is also a part of the ELB Learning's Course Authoring Gold Suite.

Features:

• Variable Management: You can manage actions, conditions, variables, and triggers to create track and respond options. These can help you combine advanced interactivity to create personalized corporate learning services for any learner.
• Multi-Language Support: It might be important for you to make your courses available in multiple languages. Their multilingual support is best for you and will also help you localize your learning and training courses for many people.
• Script Writing: For people who want to write scripts for their various courses and want them to be effective, should use Lectora. You can then add custom libraries, fonts, and scenes to elaborate subjects or generate interest in your learning program.
• Versatile Use: Lectora is effective for a diverse range of users, including instructional designers, eLearning developers, freelancers, large enterprises, non-profits, public sector organizations, and small to medium-sized businesses.
• LMS Integration: You can use Lectora alongside many established LMS or new, customized LMS. The program is WCAG-friendly and works with any Learning Management System (LMS) and integrates well into any device also, increasing accessibility.

Pricing:

Lectora is also priced similarly like other authoring tools at around $1,500 per author for a one-year subscription.




Difference Between Basic & Advanced Authoring Tools

There isn’t a whole lot of difference between basic and advanced authoring tools. You can generate corporate learning management systems that are sophisticated and highly functional through advanced tools. But your use case will also define which type of authoring tool is best for your corporate eLearning development program. Let’s understand both:

Basic Authoring Tools

These tools can help non-specialist individuals to create and publish high-quality eLearning content without having the knowledge of code or other features. It offers limited features, such as adding quizzes and surveys to make your content more engaging. They also mostly cost less than advanced authoring tools.

Advanced Authoring Tools

These are very helpful tools for experts, instructional designers, and more who know code and have extensive knowledge about eLearning authoring tools. These often feature a range of aspects, such as screen casting, video editing, and screen recording to enhance the content’s worth and value.

To End On

We know authoring tools, like we have mentioned, might not cater to every course need you might have. It is also evident that these cost a significant amount of money and resources to generate high-quality elearning content that increases your ROI (Return on Investment).

But, you can research, learn and try these tools to slowly develop and build your platform up for integrating learning content. If you don’t want to risk your resources and time to create solid corporate learning management systems for beginners, you can hire companies, like Acadecraft, to pay reasonable fees for your learning solutions.

We will highly suggest that you check and learn about authoring tools to help your company reach new milestones faster and efficiently. You can change your content and customize your course to fit every learning need quicker.